Roller drawer support apparatus and system



June 11, 1968 P. EDWARDS 3,387,906

ROLLER DRAWER SUPPORT APPARATUS AND SYSTEM Filed July 29, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

I Philip Edwards A. L 42 ;NQ ,BWL4,%A&

W Attorneys June 11, 1968 P. EDWARDS ROLLER DRAWER SUPPORT APPARATUS AND SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet :2

Filed July 29, 1966 INVENTOR. Philip Edwards mqvm Attorneys Unit ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A roller support for suspending a drawer from an overhead rail having a pair of spaced parallel tracks for reciprocal displacement of the drawer into and out of a housing, wherein such support includes a bracket mounted on the rear panel of the drawer, at least one roller rotatably carried by the bracket and located so as to position the entire roller support, such roller being able to move reciprocally back and forth on the track as the drawer is moved into and out of the housing, and a tab carried by the bracket for drivable attachment to the rear panel of the drawer when the bracket is mounted thereagainst.

This invention relates to a drawer roller support; and, more particularly, a drawer roller support that utilizes a minimum number of assembled parts which may be relatively easily and economically installed in conventional cabinetry and the like.

A variety of drawer roller supports are known in the art and generally preferred over the older slide guide systems because of the greater ease with which drawers supported by rollers may be positioned into and out of their cabinet housings, particularly when the contents of the drawer tend to increase sliding friction. Such drawer roller assemblies are exemplified by the U.S. patents to Wilson, No. 3,015,532, issued Ian. 2, 1962; Kennedy, No. 2,202,209, issued May 28, 1940; Kennedy, No. 2,255,290, issued Sept. 9, 1941; Fremstad et al., No. 3,094,3 63, issued June 18, 1963; and Smith, No. 567,693, issued Sept. 15, 1896.

Drawer roller assemblies appear to find limited application under the prior art because of the relatively numerous components required for their installation and the achievement of pro-per alignment of rollers with the guide and rails with which they are in contact. Many drawer roller supports of the prior art are associated with generally more costly cabinetry and file housings.

Thus it is a broad object of the present invention to provide a novel drawer roller support and system which utilizes a relatively small number of components which may be easily installed in conventional cabinetry housing.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide a drawer roller support for suspending a drawer for a self-centering, reciprocating motion into and out of a cabinet opening.

A feature and an advantage of this invention is that the assembly of the aforementioned system may be accomplished relatively quickly and easily, thus further reducing the cost of the assembly embodying the invention.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a roller support structure which is simple, durable, and having relatively few parts.

A further feature and an advantage of this invention is that the alignm nt of the entire roller assembly is achieved relatively effortlessly in the course of installation without special tools, devices, or special mechanical techniques.

Further objects, features, and advantages of this invention will become apparent upon a reading of the following States Patent 3,387,96 Patented June 11, I968 specification, and by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein corresponding characters of reference refer to similar components in each of the several views.

Turning now to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing the invention installed in a conventional cabinet.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an end elevation taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 2 only with the drawer shown therein nearly removed;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of one component of the invention;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged sectional view of a pair of components of the invention;

FIGURE 7 is a front perspective view of a cabinet adapted to embody the invention herein;

FIGURE 8 is a bottom perspective view of a portion of a cabinet embodying my invention.

The invention here is best understood by referring first to FIGURE 1 wherein there is generally indicated at 10 a roller support for suspending the drawer at 12 from an overhead rail indicated at 14 for reciprocal displacement of the drawer into and out of typical cabinet housing as indicated at 16 in the direction of arrows 18 and 20, respectively. The bracket at 10 includes means for locating and mounting in a predetermined orientation on rear panel 22 of the drawer which also includes sides 24,, 26, bottom 28, front panel and typical knob handle 32. A pair of rollers 34, 36 (the latter hidden from view in FIGURE 1 but seen in FIGURES 3, 5 and 6) are rotatably carried by the bracket for coaxial rotation about horizontal axis 38 which is located at an elevation which places the rollers in position to engage and ride upon track surfaces of the rail 14. The bracket is further located in a predetermined transverse position on rear panel 22 by indexing means such as that indicated at which registers rollers 34, 36 to engage the horizontal track surfaces of the overhead rail indicated at 14. Rotatable rollers 40, 42 may be installed inwardly of housing front wall 44 as best seen in FIGURE 3 to engage the lower edges of drawer sides 24-, '26 and hence further reduce resistance to reciprocating motion of the drawer into and out of the housing at 16. With the drawer installed in accordance with the foregoing novel apparatus of my invention, it may readily be appreciated that smooth roller reciprocation of a drawer into and out of the conventional cabinet housing may be accomplished.

This invention also embraces a novel system of installation of the roller support assembly and overhead rail as described in the foregoing. In this connection it should be noted that the particular rail section shown in the various accompanying figures, for example FIGURE 6, is in the form of an elongate guide indicated at 14 shaped to provide upper horizontal flange 46, lower horizontal flange 48, defining therebetween opposing recessed portions 50, 52. Referring again to FIGURE 1, end 53 of the elongated rail proximate front panel 44 has removed from the lower flange thereof a section indicated by dimension 54 being at least as great as the major diameter of the rollers in the support bracket. In the novel system of this invention for assembling the roller support assembly and overhead ra'il a drawer such as that at 12 is first provided with a bracket assembly at 10. Preferably at about the midpoint of drawer rear panel 22. The drawer is then placed in initiai operating position with the roller support bracket more or less as shown by the solid line in FIGURE 4. The rail may then be positioned over the drawer so that opening 54 at end 53 admits rollers 34 and 36 through the opening; and end 53 of the rail may then be secured by conventional means such as brads, nails orthe like as indicated at 56. Alternatively, the rail may be provided with a locating mark such as a center groove 58, see FIGURES 6 and 8; and the rail located directly over the mid point of the drawer opening 60 and again secured by conventional means, indicated at 56, inserted through front wall. 44 as suggested by arrows 62. The rail indicated at 14 is dimensioned lengthwise to locate one end in contact with the inner face of front wall 44, as just described, and opposite end 68 in contact with the inner face of back wall 64 when the longitudinal axis of the rail is positioned normal to the aforementioned faces. Drawer 12 with support bracket may then be manipulated to operating position within the housing by tilting the drawer in the manner indicated by the solid lines of FIGURE 4 and simultaneously inserting rollers 34 and 36 through opening 54 into roller receiving recesses 50 and 52, in the manner of movement as indicated by arrow 66. It is important to note that the end of the rail in contact with back wall 64 is left unsecured and therefore in positionable contact with the inner surface of the back wall proximate thereto. With the rollers in operating position, the drawer is inserted to its fully closed position within the housing, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 4, thereby automatically causing the rollers to displace rail 14, and particularly, its rearward end 68, into a precise aligned operating position. Such displacement is in part indicated by the two representations of the rail, one in phantom lines, shown in FIGURE 4. End 68 may then be secured to the back wall as by nailing, see nail 70 in FIGURE 4, to complete installation within a relatively short time after commencement of installation. It is noted that rail 14 is provided with an ample web between flanges 46 and 48 to facilitate rapid and easy nailing without likelihood of entry of nails into one of the opposing recesses 50, 52.

The preferred form of roller support bracket 10 is best seen in FIGURES 5 and 6, and includes a plate 79 formed with a horizontal flange 72 which together cooperate to locate the entire bracket in predetermined position on the rear panel of the drawer. Integral, upstanding and substantially parallel arms 74 and 76 extend upwardly from plate 70 and are provided with pins 75 and 77 journalling rollers 34 and 36 in confronting position for rotation about horizontal axis 38 at the upper ends of the arms.

Horizontal flange 72 is shaped to form a depending pointer 78 at the free edge of the flange spaced away from plate 70 preferably positioned about mid-way between arms 74, 76. Pointer 78 is one way of providing the aforementioned indexing means which may be located on the exposed upper surface 79 of the rear panel 22 of the drawer when mounting the roller bracket 10. The indexing pointer may be quickly and conveniently placed at the center line of the drawer rear panel and pounded into place with plate 70 and flange 72 forced into snug contact with the adjacent surfaces of the panel. Mounting is completed by insertion of suitable nails, screws or the like through holes 80 to provide good shear support of the bracket after initial location. The particular embodiment of the roller bracket shown, including the indexing pointer 78, plate 70 and horizontal flange 72 help contribute to the important feature of this invention which is the rapid and relatively easy installation of the various assembly components.

Another feature of the invention related to the roller support bracket may best be understood by referring again to FIGURE 4. During normal usage of the drawer, the tendency to pull the drawer completely out of its operating position in the housing is prevented by the support bracket. As can be seen, the bracket is positioned to contact the inside face of front wall to form a stop and block removal of the drawer when pulled. to an extreme position outwardly from the housing.

As an important feature of the present invention, the rollers 34 and 36, and the mating rail recesses, are formed to provide easy free running and self-centering action of the rollers on their bottom and top recess surfaces 81 and 82, and 83 and 84, see FIGURE 6. As here shown, these surfaces are bevelled, tapering towards the center plane of the structure; i.e., lower surfaces 81 and 82 incline upwardly towards the center, and upper surfaces 83 and 84 slope downwardly towards the center. Also, the peripheries 86 and 88 of rollers 34 and 36 are bevelled to mate with these inclined surfaces. Most conveniently rail 14 may be fashioned of an I-shaped cross-section, as seen in FIGURE 6. In this way one of the features and advantages of this invention is achieved; that is, when the drawer at 12 is reciprocated into and out of the cabinet housing, the roller and support bracket in rolling contact with the elongated guide at 14 tends to remain centered by the compensatory action of the tapered rollers on the tapered flange surfaces. In this way the drawer tends to move in and out of its closed position with minimum skewing and hence reduced frictional drag.

Another feature of my roller drawer support apparatus is that smooth, self-centering alignment of the drawer in a horizontal position is maintained whether the drawer is inward of the housing or pulled outwardly to its extended positions. When the drawers is closed, or pulled out only a relatively short distance, the center of gravity of the drawer and its contents is within the cabinet housing as shown in FIGURE 2. In such positions rollers 34 and 36 ride on lower recess surfaces 81 and 32, as seen in FIGURE 6. Also, the lower edges of drawer sides 24 and 26 may be slidably supported on rollers 40 and 42 to reduce frictional drag even further. As the drawers is moved outwardly of the housing during ordinary usage, the aforementioned center of gravity also moves to positions outside of the housing, tending to rotate the entire drawer structure about the contact lines of the lower edges of drawer sides 24 and 26 on rollers 40 and 42, respectively. This causes rollers 34 and 36 to be lifted slightly and removed from contact with lower recess surfaces 31 and 82; but the rollers then immediately engage upper recess surfaces 83 and 84 to maintain constant, smooth and selfcentering alignment of the drawer in its normal horizontal position, regardless of how far out the drawer is pulled.

What is claimed is:

1. A roller support for suspending a drawer from an overhead rail providing a pair of spaced parallel tracks for reciprocal displacement of the drawer into and out of a housing, comprising, a bracket including means for mounting in a predetermined orientation on the rear panel of the drawer, a pair of rollers rotatably carried by said bracket for coaxial rotation about a horizontal axis elevated to locate said rollers in position to engage and ride upon said rail tracks, and indexing means carried by said bracket for locating said bracket in predetermined transverse position on said panelfor registration of said rollers and tracks.

2. The roller support as defined in claim 1, wherein said bracket comprises a plate adapted for mounting against the drawer rear panel and having integral upstanding substantially parallel arms journalling said rollers in confronting position at the upper ends of said arms.

3. The roller support as defined in claim 2 wherein first said means comprises a horizontal flange secured to said plate and adapted to engage the rear panel of the drawer, and said indexing means comprises a depending pointer formed at the free edge of said flange spaced away from said plate and positioned to engage a predetermined point located on the exposed upper edge of the rear panel of the drawer.

4. A roller support as defined in claim 1 and said overhead rail in combination therewith.

5. The roller support as defined in claim 1 with said housing including a front wall with an opening therethrough for the drawer to travel in such reciprocal displacement and a back wall opposite said front wall, and wherein further an elongate guide having a cross section shaped to provide upper and lower horizontal flanges defining a recess therebetween adapted to receive said rollers, said guide being dimensioned to have a first end secured to the inside face of said houSing front wall and a second end to the inside face of said back wall when the guide is positioned within the housing to receive said rollers mounted on the rear panel of the drawer located for operation in the housing, and said bracket being formed to contact the inside face of said front wall of the housing to form a stop and block removal of the drawer when pulled to an extreme position outwardly from said housing.

6. The roller support as defined in claim 5, and wherein said bracket comprises, a plate adapted for mounting against the drawer rear panel and having integral upstanding substantially parallel arms journalling said rollers in confronting position at the upper ends of said arms, and said elongated guide is formed to have an I-shaped cross section forming opposing recessed passages adapted to receive and guide said rollers therealong.

7. The roller support as defined in claim 6, and wherein further said lower horizontal flange of the elongate guide is formed with an opening at said first end dimensioned to receive and pass therethrough said rollers into and out of said opposing recessed passages when the drawer is in the extreme outward position and tilted upwardly toward said housing, whereby said drawer may be removed from within said housing and prevented from inadvertent removal during normal operation by the interference contact of said bracket against the inner face of said front wall.

8. The roller support as defined in claim 6, and wherein further said I-shaped section of said elongate guide is shaped to form substantially uniform tapered flange surfaces adjacent said opposing recessed passages, said flange thickness being greatest proximate the web of said I-section; and said rollers being shaped to have rolling contact surfaces tapered to uniformly contact the tapered flange surfaces of said elongate guide, whereby said bracket when in rolling contact with the elongate guide tends to remain centered by the compensatory action of the tapered rollers on the tapered flange surfaces.

9. In a roller support for suspending a drawer from an overhead rail for reciprocal displacement of the drawer into and out of a housing, said drawer having a rear panel including a top surface fabricated of an indentable material, the combination comprising:

a bracket including a plate adapted for mounting against the rear panel of the drawer;

a tab assembly secured to said plate including a flange shaped to bear against the top surface of the drawer rear panel, and an indexing tip dependent from said flange, said tip being shaped for drivable engagement into the top surface at a preselected point thereupon when said plate is mounted against the rear panel of the drawer; and

at least one roller carried by said bracket for cooperative slidable engagement with the overhead rail.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 567,693 9/1896 Smith 312342 715,681 12/1902 Moyer 312-342 732,721 7/ 1903 Dunning 312-342 1,866,853 7/ 1932 Kennedy 312-342 1,896,346 2/1933 Bolhuis 312342 1,946,789 2/ 1934 Giesemann 3 l2342 2,223,071 11/1940 Koch 312-342 2,948,578 9/ 1960 Himelreich 312342 3,015,532 1/1962 Wilson 312--343 FOREIGN PATENTS 281,088 2/ 1952 Switzerland.

JAMES T. MCCALL, Primary Examiner. 

